Agencies aid landslide recovery efforts

Washington agencies are working to support recovery efforts at the landslide near Oso, Wash.

The Washington State Department of Agriculture was helping recovery efforts at the massive landslide near Oso, Wash., said Kirk Cook, supervisor of the natural resources assessment section and hydrogeologist for the agency.

The department conducted an assessment of agriculture community needs.

At first glance, the agricultural impact seems to be relatively low, Cook said. Some farm land is under water and some livestock operations had to move their animals to higher ground.

Cook said agricultural cooperatives and farm supply companies are doing a good job of providing feed assistance.

“It’s a pretty self-sufficient group of folks,” Cook said. “We haven’t really had a lot of requests for the farmer-by-farmer type of assistance. Right now, it’s more of what we can do as far as manpower and equipment for the recovery effort.”

The agriculture department offered trailers for temporary accommodations for workers. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is offering several specialized vehicles to help access hard-to-reach recovery areas, Cook said.